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Japanese

I have been watching one of the latest Japanese Dramas (JDrama), Last Friends… or RASUTO FURENZU as its read Katakana name. It is the first Asian drama I have seen (Chinese, Korean… or any other) – and despite the fact that I have seen my fair amount of Asian films, or listened to music in an Asiatic language. Last Friends is my first EVER Asian Soap… or as I call it, my AsiaNovela.

Last Thursday, we saw the fifth episode… so I have been roughly watching this weekly for the past month, and I can’t wait for more! Continue Reading…

I just got an email from performer Alyssa Collins with a link to a song you all can purchase on iTunes. It’s called the Hiragana Song, and includes all lyrics in romaji and English explaining to little kids the sound of the A – I- U – E – O (which is not normal if you speak English).

I haven’t really heard the song, just found it by checking up on the Hajimete Hajimemashite post – Truly a surprise to find that they have changed the song on their site.

Also, testing out a really useful tool I found. A romanization (or transliteration) tool. In Japanese, it can only read Hiragana and Katakana, though… so it might not be much help reading something like a whole website or lyrics to songs using Kanji, but it sure helps reading simple Japanese to those us lazy like me.

Hitoride Dekirumon! is another NHK show for children I happen to see on my archived videos. It ran through 1991 to 2006 (quite the long run compared to Occidental children programming). Not entirely sure what the name means, Google Translate shows it as One Possible!, but I’m more inclined to say that Continue Reading…

Eigo de Asobo (in its original 1990 title display 英語であそぼ, or in hiragana えいごであそぼ), meaning… I think, Play in English or Let’s Play in English. Well, I actually didn’t know what the heck ASOBO meant, lol… but I looked it up. (answer here, if you’re interested in use and phrases), is another NHK show I remember catching a glimpse of. I actually went through my video archive on VCR tapes, and I had recorded some of the show during its 1998-2001 period.

According to Japanese Wikipedia, the show began in 1990 and went through several changes (as apparently many Japanese kids shows do), Continue Reading…